LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16926, 12 August 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ax Australian mail of 80 bags is due from Sydney by the Makura this morning. The Auckland portion, 68 bags, will be delivered in the city and suburbs to-day. and the balance will be sent South by to-night's train.

The following weather forecast was issued by Mr. Clement L. Wragge at 8 p.m. yesterday :—" Generally fine to fair weather is expected to prevail, with light variable winds, during the early future, but it is expected that another depression will become manifest before the week expires. Sea moderate."

Fully 400 passengers left for South by the Main Trunk express last night. The train consisted of nine ordinary and three sleepers, and all the accommodation was taken up.

The R.M.S. Niagara, which is due from I Vancouver on Wednesday morning, will bring an English, American, and Expedi- ! tionary Fore* mail. As she is. due at an early hour, the mail will probably bo delivered in the city and suburbs that day.

A seaman named Patrick Francis Brady, who appeared at the Police Court on Friday on a charge of theft, and who was remanded for a week for medical treatment, died at the Mount EJen Gaol on Saturday night. He was subject to epileptic fits. An inquest will be held at the gaol this morning.

A seal, about 10ft long and 4ft round, came ashore on Saturday afternoon at Young's Beach, Papakura. When first noticed it was stranded in the mud, and snapped viciously at anybody who approached. Tho animal was lassoed by a local fisherman and tied to a tree on the beach. On being inspected yesterday morning it was found to be dead. The colour of the fur is grey brown on top, with a lighter shaao underneath.

The food-purchasing value of the sovereign is now 13s 6Jd according to Government statistics. Based on the figures in tho three food groups—groceries, produce, and meat-the sovereign in June, 1915, was 163 9d ; in June, 1916, 15s 9Jd; and in June, 1917, 14s BJd.

A married man, Frederick Arthur Hunt, 36 years of age, was taken to the hospital at 2.50 a.m. yesterday, suffering from the effects of a poisonous liquid. Ho is progressing favourably.

The geysers which recently broke out at Fryingpan Flat, Waimangu, are still active. Guide Warbrick reports that, as the result of two months' work, all the tracks washed away by the overflow from Fryingpan Valley have been reformed, and a bridge built over the hot stream issuing from it. The whole of the tracks leading from Lake Rctomahana to Waimangu have been put in order. It is intended to rebuild the guide's ccttage, and a new tea-house, to replace that wrecked by tie eruption of April 1, 1917.

Further liberal contributions have been received in Auckland during the past veek towards the "copper trail" contest with Wellington in the interest of the Red Cross movement. The distance covered during last week was five miles, representing £1100, the principal contributions being £750 from Tokomaru Bay, and £100 from the Orini Ladies' Patriotic League. The southward bound trail hat now reached the Erua station, 211 miles from Auckland. Advices from Wellington show that the north-bound trail is at Linton, 80 miles from Wellington, the distance advanced during the past week being 11 miles, Auckland's lead is now 131 miles, as against 137 miles at the end of the previous week-

The opinion was expressed last evening by the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, Minister for Agriculture, that it would be in the best interests- of the woolgrowers of the Dominion to accept the offer of the Imperial Government in regard to the wool output. The suggestion had been made .that the purchase arrangement should cease three months after the termination of the war. If the war terminated almost immediately this would mean that Britain would not get the next clip. He was one of those who felt strongly that as Britain had done so much in this war to keep the industries of the Dominion going by purchasing practically the whole of its exportable produce, and had paid for large quantities still in the Dominion, she should have the opportunity of controlling the raw materials of manufacture until she had re-estab-lished her industries. In the course of the next few days Mr. Guthrie would, no doubt, submit the final proposals of the Imperial Government to the producers, which Mr. Mac Donald thought would be satisfactory to the great majority of woolgrowers

The following were successful candidates at the annual examination in acoustics at the Auckland-University College-.—First class, Ethel Paykel; second class, Edith Blackburn; third class, Grace Graham.

Territorials who have been drawn in a ballot or who have volunteered for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces and hava been medically classed C2 are stilr liable for territorial training, according to routine ordera issued by the officer commanding the Auckland Division Garrison Artillery. The instructions also apply to territorials who, on being called up for service abroad, have appealed for exemption, and whose appeals have been adjourned sine die. The orders state that rigorous measures will be taken to ensure that the men liable perform the prescribed training.

A total of 909 persons arrived in New Zealand from oversea*, during July, while 854 left the Dominion. The excess of arrivals over departures was 65, as against 269 for July, 1917.

The shortage of household coal is reported to be acute in the South. A coal-dealer at Port Chalmers (stated last week that he did not think there was a ton, perhaps not a quarter of a ton, for sale in the town that particular day. In several households there was no coal for domestic purposes.

An attempt to salvage the steamer Waikare, which was wrecked at D isky Sound some years ago will be made in the spring. The ketch Water Lily will be used in connection with this operations, The Waikare is lying on her side on a shelving rocky ledge, with her bow allowing above water.

The increasing cost of coal has been severely felt by some of the coastal shipping companies. A Wellington firm states that in 1916 it paid 18s 6d a ton for coal. By the end of last year the cost had increased to 253 per ton. A still further increase, however, has taken place since then, and at the present time it has to pay 32s 3d a ton for bunker supplies.

A movement for the establishment of a cheese factory in the Waihi district has been promoted by the Waihi Settlers' Association, and a committee is preparing details. The promises of support, both in the matter of finance and guarantees as to the number of cows, are reported to be satisfactory.

A definition of the seasonal periods in New Zealand has been given by Mr. H. F. Skey, director of the Magnetic Observatory in Christchurch. After explaining that astronomically the seasons begin at the solstices and the equinoxes, Mr. Skey says:— There is no accurate definition possible of the times of beginnings of the four seasons meteorologically in the Dominion. It is generally admittea that June and July are ' winter' months; September and October ' spring' months; December and January ' summer ' months; March and April ' autumn' months. The intervening month between each of these successive parts is presumably meteorologically divisiblie 'between the preceding and the following season, and ;f we adopted the air temperature as a criterion, the division would occur at different dates each year. It would be no libel on our climate to write that llune and July constitute our winter; August, September, October, November constitute our spring; December, January, and February make our summer; and March, April, and May our autumn," f